Collapsible body for automobile trailers



Aug. 10, 1954 o. STEINER '2686075 COLLAPSIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Filed Nov. 4, 1949 s Sheos-Sheet 2 Aug. 10, 1954 o. STEINER 2686075 COLLAPSIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Filed Nov. 4, 1949 5 Shees-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in automobile trailer construction.

A particular object of my invention is to provide a collapsible trailer construction -composed of three main assembly sections, two of which are separately hinged to the remaining section to swing about horizontal axes of rotation to positions of extension er collapse. v

Another object is to provide a collapsible trailer construction comprising three main assembly sections includinga lower stationary body section, a seconcl body section hingedly seoured to one end of seid stationary section to swing about a horizontal axis in the longitudinal direction of the trailer to a vertical upright position or to a collapsed. position in overlapping relation to said stationary section, and a, third body section hingedly secured to the opposite end of said stationary section to swing about a horizontal axis in combined longitudinal and vertical directions to a position of engagement with seid section in its upright position or to a eollapsed position overlapping both the stationary and second body sections when thela-tter is in its -collapsed position.

A further object is to provide a novel leverage means for rotation of one of the body section which is adapted. to serve as a support as well as a ladder for the trailer in its opened or exte'nded position.

A still further object is to provicle a particularly simple trailer construction consisting of three main assembly sections hingedly connected together and adapted to be readily swung to 001- lapsed or extendecl positions with comparative ease.

The above and other objects and characteris'tic features of this invention will more readily.be understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a trailer embodying my invention in its collapsed condition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a trailer in its extended condition.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view insection of the three main assembly sections shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view showing the trailer in its collapsed condition.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional vew showing the trailer in its extended condition.

Fig. 6 is a detail view taken along the section lines 6-6 of F1g. 5. w

Fig. 7 is a detail view taken along the section lines 'l--'I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail view taken along the section lines 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a detail view taken along the section lines 99 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a broken detail view in plan of the ladder assembly in relation to the bottom Wall of one of the body assembly sections.

Fig. 11 is a detail view in perspective of one of the clamping devices shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail showing a clamp and one side rail of the ladder assembly shown in Fig. 10 With the rail in its locked position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my collapsible trailer is composed of three main assembly sections, namely, a stationary er lovver body section 5, a rear extension forming body section 6, hingedly connected ab its base in the forward portion thereof to the rear end of lower body section 5 to swing about a horizontal axis to extended and closed positions, the former constituting an upright position adjacent the rear end of section 5 and thelatter constituting an inclined position in overlapping relation to the lower body section and an upper body or hoodforming section l hingedly connected at its forward end. to the forward end of lower body section 5 to swing about a horizontal axis to open and. closed positions normally overlying the body section 5 in the open anal closed positions and additionally overlappin the extension section 6 in its closed position.

The lower body section 5 includes a bottom wall 8, bent upwardly at its forward end to form the lower portion 9 of the front Wall of the trailer, and side Walls l!) secured at their lower and forward ends to the bottom wal1 8 and lower portion 9 o1": the front Wall. The upper and rear ends of body section 5 are open. The lower body section is provided with a conventional wheel box H at either side thereof for the accommodation of wheels 12 mounted on an axle E3 suitably secured to the bottom of the lower body section in a conventional manner. The upper end eclge of front wal1 portion 9 is provided with spaced hinge knuckles M adapted to cooperate with hinge members cf the hood-forming section i in a manner hereinafter more fu1ly described. Similarly the rear end. edge of bottom well 8 is provided with spaced hinge knuckles I5 coo-peratin with complementary hinge members o1 section 6.

The rear extension formingbody section 6 comprises a bottom well 20, rear Wall 2 l, top well 22 and side Walls 23. the iront end thereof being open. The rear wal1 is provided With a. door 24 and. the side anci real walis with suitable windows 25, all of which are constructed into the extension eection in a conventional manner. The front end of bottom weil 20 is provided With hinge knuckles 25 suitably spaced to intermesh with the hinge knuckles 55 cf body section 5. The side Walls 23 are provided with projections 2T which serve es ring closures for the ende of the intermeshing knuckies I- and 25. A hinge pin 28 extencis through openings in the ring closures 2'? anal hinge knuckles i5 and 26 o provide a. horizontal axis for rotation of -the hodyseotion 6 relative 130 the body section 5.

The side Walls 23 of body section .6 are arranged so overlap the side wails H) of lower body section with ehe inner surface of side Walls 23 in face-to-face reiation wiish the unter surfaceof side walls Hi. The front ende of side walis 23 are forwardly inclined in the lower portion 29 from ihe bottom to a su'itable intermediate poini: and then rearwardly inclined in the upper portion 39 to meet the side eclges of top wali 22. Tne edges along Ehe inclined portions '29 and 3 are inturned, as indicated at 3 i, to providea con hast hetween the side Walls 23 and IG. When i;he extension formihg hody section 6 is upright in its extended position, the inturned eciges 3i engage elongated stop members 32 secured. to the ouoer surfaces of side Walls EG. rotation of bodysection (i ab0ut its pivotai axis to a position where the bottom welle 8 and 26 of the two body forming sections 5 and 6 will be in a common plane When the Letter is in its extended positi01i.

When ehe body section 6 is in a closed posiiion, relative to body member 5, the iower portion 29 of the forward end of each side Wall 23 is substantialiy flush With bottom weil 8 and the upper portion 36 is forwardly inclined i;owarri the front end of top weil 22. Recesses 33 in t'ne upper emi cf side waiis m receive the front end edge cf top wall 2 in supporting engagement.

The upper body or hood-forming section s inclucles a top Wall 35 hent downwardly ab its freut end to form the upper portion' 35 cf Ehe front weil o1" the trailer, and side Walls 31 secured at their upper and freut ends to the top weil 35 and up.per portion 36 of the i;rai1er front Wall. The lower anal rear ende of hody section e' are open and the side wa1ls 3! project dowmvardiy a substantial =distance in the forward portion beyond the lower edge cf the front weil forming portion 36. The lower end of the front weil forming portion 36 is provided with hinge knuckles 321 suitab1y spaced 120 intermesh with t-he hinge knuckles HZ oh the upper end of front weil portion 9. The side wails 3'i are provided with projecsions 59 which serve as ring ciosures for the ends of 1:he intermeshing hinge knuckles M and 38. A hinge pin 16 extends through aligned openings in the ring closures 353 end the hinge knuckles l@ anti 38 to provide a horizontal axis for rotetion of the body section E relative to the lower er stationary boaiy section onventiozmliig ht admitting window paneis 3i are constructed into the top weil 35.

In the ciosed position of the trailer, es shown in Figs. 1 and 4, it wii1 be seenthat the hoo'dforming body section i completely overiies the body sections anci The side Walls 3? are arranged outside ofand in compietely overiapping reiation to the side Walls 553 anti-23 o'f bcdy sections 5 and E5 to-conceal themfrom view. The

top weil 35 and.front waliportion6 -overlep ehe Stops 32 limit the rear weil 2! and. top Wall respectively of body section 6 in the ciosed position of the trailer.

When it is desired to open the trailer 130 its extended position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, body seetion I is first raised ioy swinging it ahout its hinge connection so 1ower body section Sufficiently to permit b0dy section 6 to be moved to its extended upright position. Stop members 320: an the unter surface of side NV2.HS H: engage inturned edges of side walls 3'. 110 1imit the swinging movement of body section i about its pivotal axis. Body section 6 is then pivoted about its hinge oonnection to the lower hody section 5 by means of a step-ladder or other suitable stairway 52 in a manner hereinafter more ful1y descrioed. Body section i is then lowered to close the gap between the body sections Ei ar1d I. This is accomplished by interlocking the two iop wa11s'22 and of the body sections, es shown in Fig. 9, the one being provideci with a transverse groove 43 adjacent its inner end and -the other with a marginal tongue extension M Which is downwardly directed to be fitted in the complementary groove 43. Cushion members 5 pro- Vide resiiient contact between the aforesaid tongue and groove. The body sections 5 and "l are releasably secured together by conventional c 1amping devices including a bai1 mernber 56 pivotally mounted on-the under side of top weil 22 and adapted to he clamped over a bill hook mouhted on the under sicle of top wa1i 35.

The 1adder orstairway2 comprising side-rails and spaced rungs o1 steps therebetween is pro- Vided with a holt ab theupper-end of each side rai1. The holte are fitted in i;he baii portion 0f U-shaped clamps 5! which a1e -secured l o i;he uncier side of the bottom weil Ei) of the body section 6. The bai1 portions of ehe c1amp are providec: with enlarged openings 52 Whi0h permit substantial rotation of the ladder about the pivotal axis provided by bolcs 5-3 from a position 013 ahutment againstthe bottom Wall 2G. E1011- gated narrow slots 53 extending from one side of openings 2 j:ermit lateral -sliding o1" bolis 50 for locking engagement of the sic1e rails of ladder 42 when said iadder is swung outwardly to a suitable position from bottom weil 28.

'When the ladcler isloked in its extended position, as shown in dotted 1ine in Fig. 4, it may be empioyed as a 1ever for rotating the body sectiorr about its pivotalaxis move seid body section to theextended upright position shown in Figs. 2 anal 5. When body section 5 is in its upright position, the lower ende o2 tne iadder rast 011 the groundto serve as a support f0r the trailer. The 1adder also serves to rotate body section 6 130 iizs elosed position and it is then moved out cf slots 53 to its unlocked position and rotated iao its position of abutment against the hottom weil 28.

I claim:

1. A collapsible trailer unit comprising three rigid-weh body seetions pivotally connected together to provide for swinging movement of 0ertain of said body sections about fixed horizontal axes, seid body sections including a iower forward. body sect-ion comprising a bottom Wall and upwardly extending rigid front and side Walls from the froniyand. sid.e edges of seid bottom weil, a rear body section comprising a bottom wal1 pivotaily connected a1; its forward edge to the rear of seid first body section bottom wall for swinging movement about a fixed horizontal axis from a position of horizontal alignment to a, position extending upwardly from saicl firSt body section bottom Wall, upwardly extending side and real walls rigidly connected to each other and to bhe side and rear edges 0f said rear body section bottom Wall, a t0p wall rigidly connected to the upper edges cf said last mentioned side and rear walls, the side walls connected so the rear body section bottom Wall being disposed outwardly of and in overlapping relation with the rear po1tions of the side Walls of said first body section, ancl a third upper forward body section forming the remaining portion 0f the trailer unit including a Wall member forming the front anal top walls 01 said third body section, the front edge 0f said Wall member being hinged to the upper edge of the front Wall of said first body section t-o swing about a fixed horizontal axis and the rear portion of said wall member being disposed above and in overlapping engagement with the top- Wall of the rear body section, and side walls rigidly connected to the said Wall member of the third body section and having portions thereof disposed autside 0f and in overlapping relation with the side walls of both the first mentioned lower forward body section anal the rear body section.

2. A collapsible trailer as set forth in claim 1, in which said top wall of said rear body section is disposed in a horizontal plane When the rear body section is in an extended upright position, and in which said wal1 member of the third body section is shapecl 110 provide a straight top wall of substantial length and an outwardly and downwardly curved front wal1 extending from the forward edge of said last mentioned top Wall 130 the hinged connection with the front Wall of saicl first body section, ehe length and degree of curvature of said third body section front Wall being such that upward swinging movement cf the said third body section about its pivotal axis disposes said third body section top wall in a common horizontal plane with the top Wall of said rear body section when the latter is in its upright position.

3. A collapsible trailer as sei; forth in claim 1 in which the said rear body section is swingable about its fixed horizontal axis to a position cf collapse, and in which portions cf the upper edges of said first body section side walls located rearwardly of and adjacent to the front Wall of said first body section are engaged by the forward eolge of the top Wall of said. .1ear body section when the latter is collapsed for support 01 said rear body section wich its rear wall downwardly inclined toward its bottom Wall, and in which the said third body section is downwardly swingable about its fixed horizontal axis to a position of collapse so that the top Wall of said thir body section is disposed lie along the lengh 01 the outer surface 0f said real Wall of the rear body section when the latter is supported by the said upper marginal portions of the side walls of said first body section.

4. A collapsible trailer as sei; forth in claim l, in which the top Wall of said rear body section is provided in its upper surface With a transversely extending groove adjacent the f1ont eclge thereof, and in which the said rear portion of said third body section Wall member which overlaps t-he top Wall of said rear body section is provided with a dovvnwarclly directed, transverse, marginal tongue extension receivable in said transverse groove in interlocking engagement when said rear and third body seccions are in their extended positions.

5. A collapsible trailer as set forth in claim 4,

including a cushioning member carried by the lower marginal edge of said tongue extension and compressible against the adjaceno surface of said transverse groove, and means carried by one of said overlapping top walls and pngageable with t-he other for exerting compression between said cushioning member and the engaging surface of said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Dato 384,402 Teal June 12, 1888 2119154 l )owning May 31, 1938 2188545 Sme1ker Jan. 30 1940 2493368 Smelker Jan. 3, 1950 2567,516 Jones Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Dato 683,648 France Max. 4, 1930 

